Load controller

Abstract

A processing system for delinting cotton has a delinter driven by an AC drive motor. The delinter is fed by a feeder/cleaner driven by a DC feed motor. A visual display ammeter measures the current drawn by the drive motor and produces a given load voltage corresponding to the measured current. The load voltage is then translated into a feed voltage to the feed motor, thereby regulating the feed into the delinter at a predetermined rate responsive to the load on the drive motor.

I claim as my invention: 
     
       1. In a processing system having a. a processing machine,   b. a feeder for feeding material to the processing machine,   c. a process drive connected to the processing machine,   d. a drive power required by the process drive being related to a process load placed on the process drive,   e. a feed drive connected to the feeder,   f. a feed rate from the feeder to the processing machine having an effect on the process load,   g. the feed rate being directly related to the speed of the feed drive,   h. the speed of the feed drive being controlled by varying a feed voltage thereto, and   j. a drive sensor connected to the process drive for measuring the drive power; the improved load controller for regulating the process load comprising in combination with the above:     k. translation means electrically connected to the drive sensor and to the feed drive for producing a plurality of preset feed voltages corresponding to a plurality of ranges of measured drive power, whereby when the measured drive power falls within a given range the feed rate corresponds to the preset feed voltage for that particular range of measured drive power, said translation means including means for setting and measured drive power ranges.   
     
     
       2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the feed drive further comprises: m. a direct current electric motor, and   n. a direct current motor controller electrically connected to the direct current electric motor.   
     
     
       3. The invention as defined in claim 2 further comprising: o. the process drive is an alternating current electric motor, and   p. the drive sensor measures electrical power.   
     
     
       4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein l. the material fed into the processing machine is cottonseed before delinting,   m. the processing machine is a saw delinter, and   n. the feeder is a cottonseed feeder/cleaner.   
     
     
       5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein l. each range of drive power is bounded on at least one side by at least one of said ranges,   m. the preset feed voltages corresponding to the ranges of drive power forming a step function for varying the speed of the feed drive in steps relative to variations in the measured value of the drive power.   
     
     
       6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the translation means comprises: l. a converter electrically connected to the drive sensor for electronically converting the measured drive power into a converter output voltage such that for each value of drive power corresponding to a particular load on the process drive, a converter output voltage representing that load is produced, and   m. at least three step modules electrically connected to the converter,   n. the step modules being activated by the converter output voltage and being responsive to said voltage to supply the plurality of preset feed voltages to the feed drive.   
     
     
       7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein each step module further comprises: o. an electric module circuit connected to the feed drive providing means for producing a preset module voltage when activated,   p. an electric module switch providing means for activating the module circuit,   q. a trigger connected to the module switch providing means for engaging and disengaging the module switch,   r. the trigger being electrically connected to the converter, and   s. the trigger being activated when a converter output voltage having a magnitude corresponding to that particular step module is produced by the converter.   
     
     
       8. The invention as defined in claim 7 further comprising: t. means for each of the step modules for varying the preset converter output voltage at which the corresponding trigger operates.   
     
     
       9. The invention as defined in claim 7 further comprising: t. the module voltage of each of the step modules means for varying.   
     
     
       10. The invention as defined in claim 9 further comprising: u. means for each of the step modules for varying the preset converter output voltage at which the trigger operates.   
     
     
       11. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein o. the material fed into the processing machine is an amorphous mass.   
     
     
       12. The invention as defined in claim 11 wherein p. the material fed into the processing machine is fuzzy cottonseed,   q. the processing machine is a saw delinter, and   r. the feeder is a cottonseed feeder/cleaner.   
     
     
       13. The invention as defined in claim 12 further comprising: s. an upper limit providing means for producing a feed voltage which produces no feed from the feeder,   t. a lower limit providing means for producing a feed voltage which produces no feed from the feeder, and   u. the upper limit and lower limit are adjustable.   
     
     
       14. The invention as defined in claim 1 further comprising: m. an upper limit providing means for producing a feed voltage which produces no feed from the feeder, and   n. lower limit providing means for producing a feed voltage which produces no feed from the feeder.   
     
     
       15. The invention as defined in claim 14 wherein o. the upper limit and lower limit are adjustable.   
     
     
       16. In a processing system having a. a processing machine,   b. a feeder for feeding material to the processing machine,   c. a process drive connected to the processing machine,   d. a drive power required by the process drive being related to a process load placed on the process drive,   e. a feed drive connected to the feeder,   f. a feed rate from the feeder to the processing machine having an effect on the process load,   g. the feed rate being directly related to the speed of the feed drive,   h. the speed of the feed drive being controlled by varying a feed voltage thereto, and   j. a drive sensor connected to the process drive for measuring the drive power; the improved method for regulating the process load comprising the steps of:     k. setting a plurality of ranges of measured drive power,   m. translating the measured drive power into a plurality of preset feed voltages corresponding to the plurality of ranges of measured drive power, thereby   n. varying the speed of the feed drive such that for each range of drive power, a preset feed drive speed exists, thereby   o. regulating the process load such that for each load condition corresponding to a measured drive power within one of said set ranges a preset rate of feed exists.   
     
     
       17. The invention as defined in claim 16 wherein the measured drive power is translated into the feed voltage by o. defining at least three predetermined drive power ranges,   p. converting the measured value of the drive power falling within one of said predetermined drive power ranges into a converter output voltage having a magnitude corresponding to the appropriate range,   q. activating a step module responsive to the magnitude of the converter output voltage,   r. producing a preset module voltage from the activated step module, and   s. supplying the preset module voltage as a feed voltage to the feed motor.   
     
     
       18. The invention as defined in claim 17 wherein the module voltage is produced by t. activating a trigger which is sensitive to a particular converter output voltage,   u. engaging and disengaging a module switch with said trigger which activates a module circuit, and   v. producing the preset module voltage with the activated circuit.   
     
     
       19. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein o. each of the step modules produces a preset module voltage when activated by the converter output voltage.   
     
     
       20. The invention as defined in claim 19 wherein the preset module voltage of at least three of the step modules differ from each other. 
     
     
       21. The invention as defined in claim 19 wherein p. each preset feed voltage corresponds to the preset module voltage of at least one of the step modules.   
     
     
       22. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein the converter further comprises: o. means for converting the measured drive power into a converter output voltage such that for each value of drive powewr within one of the ranges of measured drive power, a converter output voltage having a magnitude corresponding to that range is produced.